If we knew the results it wouldn’t be research. Medical research is dealing with potential future solutions to known problems. The risk is from a drug that’s either useless or actively harmful. Saying we don’t know if self driving cars are eventually going to be better is therefore no different than considering a new vaccine.

Anyway, move fast and break things is ingrained into the core of the medical profession when there is an unmet medical need.

The FDA for example has: Accelerated Approval, Fast track designation, Breakthrough therapy designation, and Priority Review all designed to speed things up when the benefits are significant.

They don’t apply for new pain medication because the risk vs reward is very different. 2014: https://www.fda.gov/media/94063/download

PS: I think we can agree that in terms of car safety there is clearly a large unmet need. That’s not to say self driving is the solution, just that it’s a serious contender.